#85B2EE
Closest named color: Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE). oklch(75.4% 0.1 255.8), rgb(133, 178, 238).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.60:1).
About this color
#85B2EE is a medium-light, moderately saturated blue. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.100 and its hue 256°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE), ΔE 0.026 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.60:1.
| Hue family | Blues |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.100) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Carolina Blue (#8AB8FE) |
| Black text | 9.60:1 |
| White text | 2.18:1 |
Values
| HEX | #85B2EE |
| RGB | rgb(133, 178, 238) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 76%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.4% 0.1 255.8) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #85B2EE | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc -47.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #85B2EE | 9.60:1 | AAA | Lc 61.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #85B2EE text on white | 2.18:1 | Fails | Lc 43.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #85B2EE text on black | 9.60:1 | AAA | Lc -59.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F2F6FB
oklch(97.2% 0.008 253.9)
-
Step 100
100
#E2EBF6
oklch(93.7% 0.018 253.3)
-
Step 200
200
#CBDBF0
oklch(88.6% 0.034 255.2)
-
Step 300
300
#A7C3E9
oklch(80.9% 0.062 256.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#85B2EE
oklch(75.4% 0.1 255.8)
-
Step 500
500
#528BD5
oklch(63.1% 0.127 255.6)
-
Step 600
600
#3673C2
oklch(55.5% 0.138 256)
-
Step 700
700
#2860A8
oklch(49% 0.129 256.1)
-
Step 800
800
#234F88
oklch(42.7% 0.107 256.1)
-
Step 900
900
#21426D
oklch(37.7% 0.084 255.9)
-
Step 950
950
#142740
oklch(27% 0.053 255.8)
#85B2EE with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #9BB5F1 | 0.029 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8FABED | 0.020 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #5CBFC7 | 0.087 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.100 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #85B2EE
#85B2EE
oklch(75.4% 0.1 255.8)
- #D4A764
#D4A764
oklch(75.5% 0.1 76.2)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #85B2EE, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Carolina Blue #8AB8FE ΔE 0.026
- Pastel Blue #A2BFFE ΔE 0.054
- Lightblue #7BC8F6 ΔE 0.057
- Light Grey Blue #9DBCD4 ΔE 0.060
- Sky #82CAFC ΔE 0.062
- Light Cornflower Blue #98C1D9 ΔE 0.063
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.072
- Periwinkle Blue #8F99FB ΔE 0.073
Use #85B2EE in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.